Reassess Your Life and Business

The first quarter of the year is over, spring is here, and it is a perfect time to reassess your life and business. This is something I try to do at the start of every quarter as I evaluate if I am on track with my personal and business goals.

I don’t know about you but it is easy for me to let clutter in my work area pile up and my backlog of “things to do” get overwhelming. Even things I shouldn’t be doing.

Sometimes I just need to take a step back, draw a deep breath, and push the reset button.

I came across this old quote from Erma Bombeck. She was an American humorist who wrote many books and funny newspaper columns about life as a mother and housewife from the 1960’s to the 1990’s.

One of her most well know quotes is worth sharing. It’s been said she wrote the following piece when she was dying of cancer but that isn’t true. She wrote “If I Had My Life to Live Over” at the age of 52 and lived another 17 years.

My guess is she wrote this to inspire us to reassess life and business and find ways to bring more joy and satisfaction in life. Even though some of the references are dated…and I am old enough to get most of them…Yikes!… it is easy to think of applications in your own life. Especially read the last couple of lines. So encouraging!

Erma Bombeck’s Advice

“If I had my life to live over….

Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to live over would I change anything.

My answer was no, but then I thought about it and changed my mind.

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculpted like a rose before it melted while being stored.

I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television… and more while watching real life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.

I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn’t show soil/guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. NOW, go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more I love yous.. more I’m sorrys… more I’m listenings… but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it… look at it and really see it… try it on…live it… exhaust it… and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.”

Let’s Apply It

I don’t think the point of the article is to focus on regrets but rather to focus on changes you can make today. An argument can be made that everything up to this point in your personal and business life have brought you to where you are today, ready to reassess your life and business.

Be grateful for that! Recently I have had numerous health issues, unexpected fiscal challenges, web sites attacked by malware, product that isn’t selling and sourcing mistakes… and the list goes on.

I bet it does for you too. But that’s OK. I have also had great support, friends, doctors, tech experts and others help me move forward and things that did sell. Progress.

Looking over the quote I can think of many ways it applies to my online business. Bright shiny objects, failure to outsource to free up more of my time, watching the wrong webinars, working too many hours on the computer and more. Also I see things I need to spend  more time on.

How about you? I encourage you to take this quote to heart and let it make a difference in your life today.